Lightspeed
by OretaTsubasaDe
Summary: [Oneshot] Based off the Teen Titan Episode 'Lightspeed'. Trying to steal the four legendary BitBeasts with the Saint Shields[Blade Hunters], Mariam encounters a stranger who foils the plan, replacing the Draciel she stole with a rose. [Redone]


I redid the story (for like, the sixth time…) and I fixed the mistakes (like I called them Saint Shields, the dub name, when I called the characters by their Japanese names.) And I added the scenes I said I took out before. I finished my art project; that's why. But note that my descriptions still suck.

Characters are still the same. (Now I can say that Kai replaces the unicorn)

Disclaimer: I own nothing…if I don't own the cookies in my cookie jar, what makes you think I own Beyblade? Or Teen Titans?

* * *

Mariam watched silently as Ozuma and Dunga lowered Yusuf, on a rope fastened around his waist, down into the large judo room. 

"Well, Yusuf?" Mariam asked softly after a while.

Yusuf scoffed. "Che, easy. These poor souls have even poorer security."

The olive-haired boy smirked and signaled that it was safe. Ozuma and Dunga lowered the boy down until his feet touched the ground. The other three leapt down beside him.

"Perfect; the four bit-beasts." Ozuma grinned darkly, gazing at the blades of Dragoon, Dranzer, Drigger and Draciel sitting on the dark brown chest.

Yusuf surveyed the room. "We'd better hurry with this. Grab 'em and let's go."

Mariam closed her eyes smugly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't you think," she started, looking at Dunga shoving the beyblades in his vest under his cloak, "it'd be easier if we each took one?"

Ozuma glanced at the raven-haired girl. "She's right; if they catch one of us, they'll only get one beyblade," like Mariam, he closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "making it harder for them to get them back."

Dunga groaned. "Yeah, whatever, stop wasting time talking." Dunga tossed three of the beyblades to them.

Yusuf smirked, taking Drigger. "C'mon, c'mon." he grumbled.

Mariam sighed, putting Draciel in her pocket. "We're going, we're going."

Ozuma nodded, running off to the door with Dragoon in hand. Dunga and Yusuf headed off to follow him. Mariam smirked to herself and ran to follow her teammates.

The emerald-eyed girl only got a few steps before tripping over her cloak. She fell over face down and saw Draciel slipping out of her pocket and out of her reach. "Ergh! No!" she grunted, trying to reach for Draciel.

Thoughts clouded Mariam as her eyes slowly close shut. "No…." she muttered and her head dropped down slowly.

* * *

After a few minutes or hours, Mariam didn't know which one, she woke up and found that instead of Draciel in front of her, it was a bright red rose. She got to her feet and picked it up. 

"Damn, I lost Draciel!" she cursed.

Mumbling her herself, she went back to the Blade Hunter's lair.

* * *

Yusuf looked at Mariam. "What happened, sis?" 

Mariam grunted, planting herself on a box and putting her feet up. "I fell and some jerk took Draciel," she scoffed, crossing her arms, "left me this." She held up the rose.

Ozuma eyed it. "Ooh…pretty?" he tried to make her situation lighter.

"Well, I wanna find who did this." Mariam scowled at the rose, "I wanna find them and I wanna make them pay." She threw the rose at Ozuma's face.

Yusuf was rocking back and forth on his crate. "Somebody has a boyfriend," he sang, taunting his sister. "Somebody has a --- ahhhh!" he broke into a surprised yell as Mariam launched Sharkrash at his head. The boy ducked down, letting Sharkrash crash into the wall behind him, then bounced back into Mariam's hand.

Yusuf bounced off his crate, going over to where Dunga was. "Well, sis, I'd love to help you out, but me and Dunga are gonna make a fortress out of sofa cushions." He smiled, picking up a large dark navy cushion.

Dunga grinned as the two started forming the 'fortresses'.

Mariam growled inwardly; the word 'fortress' reminded her of Draciel, then of how she lost it, and how a rose was found in its place.

Ozuma sighed, hitting his head with his hand in annoyance. "Sorry, Mar, I'd love to help you, but I've gotta keep these two idiots under control."

Mariam nodded. "I understand…these two can be just so…"

"…stupid?" Ozuma offered.

"Yeah…exactly." Said the girl of indigo-hair in sudden realization.

Ozuma patted her back. "Well, it's not so bad, Mar." he went over to a crate near the 'sofa fortress', picking up a video game and started playing.

* * *

"You have no idea." Mariam muttered to herself, turning for the door. 

Mariam went back to the dojo, seeing Draciel sitting on a large dark brown chest on the floor. She smirked and walked over it. Mariam reached over to grab it but was cut off.

"Need a little battling help?"

Mariam whipped around. "It's none of your concern. Who are you?"

"Max…Mizuhara." He stepped forward. At first, Mariam only saw his golden blonde hair, frayed over his forehead. He was wearing a long, baggy sky blue shirt with crimson red rims along the bottom, the sleeves and collar lines. His baggy shirt had a large golden star near his left side with a smaller one to the right. To accompany his baggy shirt was a pair of grey baggy shorts. Under his sky blue shirt was a lime colored shirt and the strap of a lighter blue undershirt was just visible from his right side. A pair of white socks under dark blue shoes and his pair of red gloves which only had fingers for his pinky and ring fingers convoyed his outfit.

"Are you supposed to be some kind of master blader or something?" Mariam asked, unimpressed, crossing her arms.

Max smirked, looking at his nails smugly. "One of the best." He leaned into the light, allowing Mariam to see his clear sapphire eyes.

Mariam put her hands on her hips. "Well, aren't you gonna report me to your friends?"

Max put his hands behind him, clasping them together as he started walking towards her. "I thought I'd get to know you first."

He got only two steps away from her and she gave him a contemptuous snort.

Max jerked a thumb over his shoulder behind him. "Why do hang out with those losers? That team of yours is only holding you back."

Mariam leaned a bit forward, swinging an arm over in front of her. "I know! That's what I keep telling---" she stopped herself, then crossed her arms. "What do you know?"

Max smirked. "I know you're too smart for all this."

The girl merely scoffed. "Oh, is this the part where you're supposed to 'convert' me? Make me see the error of my ways?" she rolled her eyes, then flipped her hand down at him. "You're wasting your time."

The blonde kept a cocky look on his face. "When you're as good as me, time is something you've got plenty of." He picked up Draciel from behind her. "Beybattle?"

Mariam's eyes pop slightly, but they narrow down to normal as she closes her eyes and turns away. "It's too late for me anyways."

Max took the last two steps to her. "It's never too late." He put Draciel in his pocket.

"What about the Blade Hunters? They'd come after me." She opened her eyes and looked upward in thought.

Max smiled warmly. "Let me worry about them."

Mariam turned back around to face him. "Where will I go?" she asked, looking scared. Then, a bit more distraught, she brought the back of her hand to her forehead. "What will I do?"

Max held a hand to her. "Trust me."

Mariam looked down at his open palm before her. She seemed to regard it with considerable trepidation and started to reach for it. She looked up to his confidently smiling face, then back to his pocket where Draciel lay. Another look down toward his hand, and she put on a smile of her own—but a shrewd, cunning one.

"On second thought…" she smirked, quickly getting out Sharkrash, her launcher and ripcord. "…nah!" she launched Sharkrash toward him, knocking him back.

Max fell back, ending up at a pair of feet. The blonde looked up to see Dunga's face, smirking down on him, with his arms crossed. Max quickly jumped to his feet, but Ozuma jumped in to prevent the blonde from getting away.

Yusuf dropped right in front of Max's face. "Who's the loser now?"

Mariam smirked and joined her teammates.

Dunga walked toward the blonde. "You're about to become a broken brat."

Max smirked at him. "One problem with that plan, big guy; you'll have to beat me first." He got out Draciel, launcher and ripcord to face them.

Mariam pushed Dunga aside. "This one's mine." She smirked, seeing as Sharkrash was already spinning.

Max launched Draciel at Sharkrash.

The battle was cut short when Yusuf and Dunga trapped Max in a crate from behind.

Mariam smirked. "Oh, did I forget to mention that?"

* * *

Max woke up a few minutes later, finding himself tied in a corner of the room, the four members of the Blade Hunters surrounded him further into the corner. 

He merely smiled cockily. "Looks like you got me."

Ozuma grinned, as did Dunga. "That's right!" Dunga announced, "And when we're through with you, we're gonna…we're gonna…" he turned to Mariam. "What're we gonna do with 'im?"

Mariam sighed. "Didn't we discuss this already?"

Ozuma looked at her. "Maybe we could get him to steal stuff for us!"

Dunga joined with a grin. "He's gotta be worth money!"

Yusuf grinned. "I say we take him apart and see what makes him tick!"

Ozuma sighed. "I say that you two shut up!"

Max spoke up. "Don't I get a say in this?"

The four of the Blade Hunters looked at him. Max was playing with one of the cloaks.

"Hey, where'd you get---? That's mine!" Dunga grabbed the cloak from him.

Max smiled. "Wait, wait, wait, wait…if you're called the 'Blade Hunters', why are you guys _stealing_ the blades?"

The four of them looked puzzled.

"'Cause…it sounds…cooler?" Ozuma struggled, rubbing the back of his neck uncertainly.

"This is borin'!" Dunga announced. "I'm gonna go watch wresting!" he walked off into the living room.

"Ooh! You'd better not hog the sofa!" Yusuf yelled, following the older, larger boy.

Ozuma frowned and followed them.

Annoyed, Mariam put a hand to her head in frustration, like she had a headache.

"Don't have much of an attention span, do they?" Max asked, smirking.

"You have no idea---" Mariam started, but cut herself off again, "Stop that! Who do you work with?"

Max smirked, standing up and putting his hands on his hips. "I'd rather not say. You got a nice place; very…secret lair."

Mariam's fists dropped to her sides. "Quit changing the subject!"

Max stared at her with sincerity. "Doesn't it bother you that those guys never listen to you?"

Mariam stepped closer to him. "Why are you so interested in me?"

The blonde merely tilted his head to the side a bit, then back to normal. "There's something about you that's different." He said genuinely, "I think you can do better."

Mariam stared at him and they subconsciously leaned closer, leaving only a few centimeters between them until….

"Could I get some new parts?" Max asked, keeping his face still, holding up his Draciel, "This looks like it needs a change."

Mariam instantly backed off, feeling like she just made an idiot of herself. "Fine, have your little fun. In a minute, you're gonna wish you were never born."

Max smirked. "Oh right…you wanna see what makes me tick." He stowed Draciel back in his pocket.

Mariam huffed. "You're an idiot." She turned away. "I'm turning you over to Balkov."

"You're joking right?" Max asked.

Mariam ignored him and flipped her cell phone open, letting her words sink in the blonde.

"You're not joking…." Max concluded. "Mariam, you don't wanna get mixed up with him."

Mariam smirked. "Watch me."

Max shook his head. "You're making a big mistake."

To both their surprises, Yuriy's voice was heard instead of Balkov. "This is a reserved frequency! Who are you!"

Mariam flushed lightly, glad that Max couldn't see her since she was facing away. "Yuriy? Okay, I'm Mariam from the Blade Hunters. And I just wanted to say that the whole 'turning you cyber' was so unfair and I-I-I…"

"You're wasting my time. What do you want?" Yuriy asked, annoyed.

"We've got Max and Draciel." Mariam replied, cutting to the chase.

Yuriy's voice sounded interested now. "Did you? I wouldn't expect him to be detained by amateurs." He smirked on the other line. "Listen carefully --- What is your name?"

"Mariam." She replied. "M-A-R-I-A-M."

Yuriy smiled and let out a small sigh. "Mariam," he paused for a bit, "You will not entertain him. You will not speak to him. And I trust that you have kept him away from his beyblade?"

All this does is make Mariam quite nervous, as all of these, she has let be countermanded. To hide this, she smiled nervously. "Naturally."

Yuriy let out a small grunt of approval. "Hm, very good. I am on my way."

Mariam smirked to herself. "Yes!" she put her cell phone away. "What do you think of that?" she looked at where Max was supposedly sitting. "Uh?" she gasped when she noticed him gone.

* * *

"You want my Vanishing Moot to search the place? Are you out of your stinking mind!" Yusuf yelled. 

"I don't care!" Mariam shouted. "You're gonna do it now! Do you have any idea how bad it's gonna be if Yuriy shows up and we don't have him!"

Dunga smirked. "Bad for _you_, maybe."

Mariam glared at him. "You were the one that said you'd keep him in tact." She turned to Ozuma. "And you were the one that said you keep _him_ in tact!" she nodded a head to Dunga.

Ozuma bit his lip.

"If Yuriy doesn't make things bad for you," she started, pushing Yusuf and Dunga down before getting to the dual-hair colored leader, "I promise, I will!" Before Mariam can do more, the lights go out.

The girl growled and clenched her fist. "I don't care what it takes. Split up and catch him…" Mariam glances around and gets no response. "NOW!"

The three scattered.

Ozuma stood near Mariam.

* * *

Yusuf ran down to the workshop, putting on some new parts for Vanishing Moot. 

"Oooh! Whatcha making?" Max asked, appearing in beside Yusuf, watching the boy work from over his shoulder.

"Oh, you'll find out." Yusuf smirked, unaware of who he was talking to. "Ahh!" he just realized that the enemy was looking over his shoulder, and he gives off a shocked scream.

Said enemy picks up an attack ring, putting it on Draciel. "Just need to borrow one of these." The blonde smirked, not even bothering to ask Yusuf if he minds Max using the ring, then launched Draciel into the room as it scatters around, destroying the room.

Yusuf growled, and pulled out his launcher and ripcord. "Ya!"

Vanishing Moot comes out and startles Max for a brief moment.

"He's in the workshop! He's in the---!" Yusuf gets cut off by Draciel finishing the room destruction as he and his master leave.

"Never mind…" Yusuf huffed.

* * *

Ozuma watched again. "He's heading for the garage!" 

Dunga gave a nod and ran for the garage, arriving in time to see Draciel and Max finish off the cars.

"Oh man!" Dunga groaned, "Our vehicles!"

"He's messing with the video system!" Ozuma yelled.

* * *

Dunga and Mariam looked over at the television. Dunga drooled. "Ooh, pie!" 

Mariam smiled. "Hey, pie! Cool, I'm hungry."

Ozuma playfully hit her upside the head. "Mariam, focus."

The girl nodded.

"He's headed for sector four!" Ozuma announced.

Mariam's eyes pop in fear. "That's my room!" she races off to her room.

* * *

A door slides open to reveal her living quarters with Max lounging against a desk, flipping through a book. 

"Kai, eh? I never took you for the Kai type." Max smirked, still looking at the book.

Mariam's disbelief turns into pure rage. Sharkrash is blasted towards Max, but he merely stepped out of the way and ran out of the room. Sharkrash is left to destroy her room unintentionally.

Mariam stared at the ruble that used to be her room, letting off a shriek of annoyance.

* * *

"He's heading for corridor twelve!" Ozuma then smirked. "And that's a dead end…" he cackled for a bit. 

Ozuma, Dunga and Yusuf backed Max into the dead end.

"End of the road, loser." Yusuf grinned.

Max faced them, merely jerking a thumb over his shoulder to the wall behind him. "You _do_ realize, I can vibrate Draciel to break solid objects."

The three boys stare in disbelief as Max does so. He appeared behind them. "Later!"

* * *

Mariam sighed. "This is the worst day ever…." She walked up to the boys who are lying, defeated on the sofa. 

A door opens, stealing Mariam's attention as Yuriy stands in the doorway. "I've come to get Max and Draciel; where are they?"

The three boys, looking scared, hide behind Mariam who has a fierce look on her face, then it lowers. "He got away."

Yuriy looked upset…then again, he always did. "You let him get away!" he turned away, slamming a fist into his hand, "I should've known this would happen!" he shook his head. "Never trust amateurs."

"We'll find them!" Mariam announced. "We'll get them back!"

Yuriy scoffed, looking at the place. "You have already proven yourself useless in that regard. Your base is an embarrassment."

Yusuf spoke up. "It was Max Mizuhara! He trashed it!"

Yuriy glared at the boy. "SILENCE!"

Each of the Blade Hunters jump, startled.

Yusuf hangs his head. "Yes, sir."

"Just give me one more chance!" Mariam insisted. "I won't disappoint you!"

Yuriy smirked, looking back at the girl. "You want to impress me, don't you?" he asked, a slight hint of smugness in his voice, "Perhaps someday you wish to be…like me?"

A light smile on the emerald-eyed girl's face answers his questions.

Yuriy gave her a contemptuous chuckle. "Not likely." He turned to walk away. "I'll catch him myself."

The Blade Hunters watched him until the door closed behind him. Mariam turned to the group. "We have to find Max before he does!" she said, her voice breaking slightly. "It's the only way to prove that we're not completely worthless!"

Yusuf looked at his sister odd. "Are you kidding?"

"I'm not getting in his way." Dunga added.

Mariam sighed. "Then I guess I'm on my own." She patted her brother's head before leaving.

Ozuma stared at her departing form, concerned.

* * *

Mariam sighed. "What do I have to do, steal Kai's beyblade?" 

Max appeared behind her. "You'd do that for me? I'm touched."

"You're not very smart," Mariam put her hands on her hips, "are you?"

"No need to be rude," Max smiled, gesturing a hand, "it's not like I'm afraid of you."

"Oh, I'm not the one you should be afraid of," a dark smirk crossed Mariam's face. "_I_ am!" Yuriy stepped out of the costume.

Max gave out a surprised yell.

"And you should be very afraid." Yuriy added, smirking darkly. The redhead reached into his pocket, withdrawing Wolborg, a launcher and ripcord. The two launched their blades at each other and Wolborg took a full charge at Draciel.

He floored it around a corner, but the Russian's attacks kept on coming. Max's strangled cry says that Yuriy has hit his mark, and Draciel is unceremoniously towed back and whipped against a building.

Yuriy smirked. "You like to play games, huh? This one's called 'Stay Alive'!"

The redheaded Russian swings forward and knocks Draciel in the air. Once he is back down, he tears himself free of Wolborg's grip and backs off half a block or so.)

Max smirked cockily. "Don't count me out yet, my friend."

Sticking one arm straight out in front of himself, Max summoned Draciel to attack, but Wolborg simply took the hit, as the waves knock on the shore.

Attacks fly as fast as Draciel fled, knocking holes in the pavement and the architecture, and he dashed along the side of a skyscraper while the wall-to-wall windows are punched out behind him. As Draciel scurries off, Wolborg appears in front of the turtle beast and knocks against him, square-on.

Yuriy tossed Max a mocking half-smile, which he answers with a mischievous grin before going into a friction-heating trick that causes Wolborg to swivel around a bit.

Yuriy grunted a bit. "You can't win."  
Max flashed him another cocky smile, waving a finger. "I still have a few tricks left."

He proves it by spinning in place and backing up against a building wall; stone dust billows thickly outward from the contact. He breaks through the many walls, away from the Russian, but on the other side, the blonde is panting, showing that his trick has taken quite a bit out of him. He has gone clear through to the other side of the building, but Yuriy came around to meet him.

Yuriy crossed his arms, smirking threateningly. "When you tire out, your energy will die, and then I'll finish you."

_Not just yet, though_. Max thought to himself. He, with Draciel, sprinted away, barely ahead of Yuriy and Wolborg's attacks.

Draciel raced on and then he ran flat into a building. The dust cleared to show him embedded in the masonry. He tumbled loose just in time for Yuriy's leisurely approach and stumbled up with a woozy moan.

After getting an incurious, sidelong look from the pursuer, Max and Draciel cleared their heads and brings down at attack against the pavement with a rising snarl.

The smash sent out a road-buckling shock wave. The attack plowed Wolborg over with Yuriy snarling at the blonde.

Max takes his chance, summoning Draciel back into his hand and racing off, far away from Yuriy. He made sure it was far, _far_ away from Yuriy.

* * *

Mariam walked around a bit. 

"Twenty meters to your left." Ozuma's voice said through a communicator in her ear.

The raven-haired girl glanced over and saw a warehouse door closing in the direction Ozuma told her.

Mariam smiled. "Thanks, Ozuma, I knew I could count on you."

Ozuma left from his spot in a high tree, blushing, then jumped down to watch from afar.

Mariam walked over to the giant warehouse where Ozuma told her Max was.

Max was hiding behind one of the crates. He saw her shadow walking up to him. "Mariam? Is that…you?"

Sharkrash came out and just missed his head by a few good inches. "It's you." Max said, wiping his face. Sharkrash flew back into her hand.

Mariam stepped up to him, crossing her arms. "You made me look like a fool." She noticed him slumping on the box for support. "What's the matter, run out of gas?"

Max got himself up, still leaning on the box, but switched to a pole. "For now….I'll have my strength back in a minute."

Mariam got ready to sick Sharkrash on him. "I'm not gonna give you a minute!"

Max just stared at her. "Why do you wanna be like him?"

"I grew up cold. Nice was never an option for me." Mariam sighed, lowering her arm in which her launcher was. "At least with the Neo Borg Team, I can be somebody; I'll get respect."

Max stared at her with a serious look on his face, like it was a matter of life and death. "You don't need to hurt people to feel good about yourself."

An uncertain look had crossed Mariam's face, but it rearranged into a scowl as she launched Sharkrash yet again at him. "Abyss Fire!" and a blaze of fire surrounded Max in a large circle, but it causes him to fall on his knees, then on all fours.

Mariam smirked. "And that's only Level One." She smirked, encouraging Sharkrash to attack harder.

* * *

After a few minutes, Yuriy came walking by the warehouse they were in, and Mariam came out, smiling. 

"Yuriy Ivanov!" she exclaimed, getting the Russian's attention. "I caught him! Just like I said I would!" she stepped aside, allowing the redhead to view what she did.

Yuriy merely smirked smugly and quickly struck her cheek, (A/N: So much for not hitting a girl) causing her to fall over. He walked over to her body. "You didn't do a thing; I was the one who weakened him. And you call yourself a true blader." He spat down on her. "Pathetic."

Mariam got up. "I just wanted someone to look up to. I thought you were cool."

This doesn't affect Yuriy at all. "Life's full of disappointments, girl. You are one of them." He held out a hand. "Give him to me."

Mariam looked at Sharkrash, still spinning around Max. "Go get him yourself." She summoned Sharkrash back into her hand; the fires fade and Max got to his feet.

"Thanks." The blonde smiled and ran away.

Yuriy growled. "You miserable---!" he raised a hand to strike her again, but Mariam beats him to it, punching him, therefore making him fall over.

She walked over to his body. "I don't care who you are! No one messes with me."

Yuriy got up and stroked his chin, as though to make sure it was still working. Damn girl, nearly punched his jaw out. "Hmm…." He pondered, considering her fierceness. "We'll be in touch." He smirked, winked and walked away.

Mariam scoffed, going in the opposite direction as the Russian.

Ozuma ran up to her. "He gone?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

The leader rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So…there's a sale on beyblade parts. Buy one, get two free. You in?"

Mariam shook her head. "Nah, you go ahead."

Ozuma turned to walk away. "Right. See ya."

Mariam also turned away as he leaves. "Goodbye." She said softly and continues walking until she finds another rose on the ground in front of her.

She bends down to pick it up, then sees Max smiling at her on the top of one of the buildings nearby, but he runs off again.

Mariam smirked to herself and walks still, the rose still in her hand. It's not such a bad day after all. She sniffed the rose. Not at all…

* * *

There, are we all happy? I know that some of the characters are OOC. 

Review if you want...but I personally don't have that much to say about it.

Fixed a lot of things. I know, the Blade Hunter's lair isn't really like that and I don't know how Ozuma knew where Max was going, but it's just there, okay? And I don't even know why Yuriy's there and Kai's there because...well, I like Kai/Mariam. So there, I said it...


End file.
